Rushan Abbyasov: I think we were able to satisfy the interests of all visitors

- Before the exhibition started we did not know how many people would attend it and what the contingent would be. As you can imagine, this is the first exhibition of the kind, the active phase of preparation began in February 2010, and information about it did not get into many profiling publications. Therefore, in our expectations, we tried to proceed from modest ratings. In conducting advertising activities we did not reduced a target audience to a small group of individuals, on the contrary, our audience was going to be very broad and include both business and expert community, and ordinary consumers. And it did.

I think we were able to satisfy the interests of all visitors. We tried to give our guests the opportunity to combine the useful business meetings with leisure, and, thanks God we coped with that. Since the first day of exhibition Moscow Halal Expo 2010, we are getting positive feedback from various people - foreigners, Russian producers, participants and guests of the exhibition.

We are pleased that many regional manufacturers have been able to find business partners and to agree to supply their products to market in Moscow. At the same time, foreign participants also were pleased with the results of business meetings. We are particularly pleased that in spite of many difficulties, the producers of Palestine and Indonesia, still managed to find partners for their business in Russia.

Among the visitors there were food producers, representatives of meat processing, cosmetics and trade, individual entrepreneurs-Muslims. Tere also was a considerable amount of investors and representatives of investment companies. It was useful for ourselves to establish new contacts in order to help in developing their business and to inform about new projects in which they can participate.

Among the industries represented there also were: tourism, medicine, information technology, catering, construction, finance, insurance.

We are also pleased that the exhibition has received the attention it deserves of government representatives, primarily,in the field of agriculture, consumer market and territorial development. Many visitors came to the exhibition again, led families.

- Discoveries were numerous. For example, we as organizers did not know that in Moscow you can buy the products of German meat processing plant "Egetyurk" producing halal meat products, also many people have discovered Trinity products cannery.

An interesting scope of spices and seasonings was submitted by trade representative of Indonesia and "MЭТР" company.

Undoubtedly, an important discovery in the field of finance are drafts submitted by two companies - a group of companies "Safinat" and OAO "Islamic Finance House".

A stand of GUP "Agidel" representing Bashkir folk crafts was also very popular. Many visitors showed interest in this product.

It should be noted that at our exhibition products of the world's leading manufacturer of halal cosmetics - the company OnePure Halal Beauty were presented. We believe these products will be developed on the Russian market.

- Now we can only give a preliminary assessment based on the many positive reviews. I think that the real result will be visible after some time when the agreement will turn into contracts and we will see their implementation.

- The main result achieved during the preparation and holding of exhibitions - is that we have managed to reach an understanding with key ministries and agencies regulating issues related to the scope of halal production, import, export, trade and marketing halal. Further steps seen is a partnership with them for the benefit of solving identified problems.

- The main conclusions of the discussions at the conference are contained in the resolution adopted by the participants. Since the subjects discussed were quite various and included issues of education investment, banking, the conclusions were sufficiently numerous. The most important of them: the need for the formation and development of the business community managed by business ethical principles laid down in Islam, as well as the inclusion of courses on Islamic economics and finance in universities' educational programs.

It should be noted that one of the important events of the final stage and a certain outcome of the exhibition was awardin the prize "Golden Palm" for achievement in the field of business according to the norms of Islam. Participating companies were estimated according to the contribution to the development of the industry, the social component of business and the views of visitors.

This prize was established by the Russian Mufties Council and JSC "Islamic Finance House", and we hope that this initiative will become a good tradition and will disseminate the ethical business for the benefit of our economy.

The first three prizes were awarded to companies "Sharm el-Sheikh" (3 place), "Najm-Tour" (2 place) and "Ecole" (1 place).

Zhafar Azizbaev

Director of the Centre for Standardization and Certification of Halal of the Russian Mufties Council

I consider as a major success of the exhibition the fact that not only consumers showed their interest in it but also the community of experts, leaders of regional Muslim communities, representatives of major retail chains - Ashan, "Azbuka vkusa." The exhibition demonstrated that the scope of halal - is not something handicrafts produced in small poorly equipped workshops, but high-tech industry. Large retailers who are already working with well-known manufacturers, such as "Safa", "Ecole" or "Halal Ash", saw that there are other players on the market, whose products are of excellent quality. Animation which was observed around each of the stands was struck by many.

IslamRF.Ru

10.07.2010